Young Walkley awards: Ashley Argoon named journalist of the year, ABC reporters also honoured

Updated
Wed 3 Jul 2013, 11:15 PM AEST

Victorian reporter Ashley Argoon has been named journalist of the year at the Young Walkley awards in Sydney.

Argoon's reports for The Border Mail on youth suicide in the Albury-Wodonga region saw her take out the top award and named best text-based journalist.

The win means the 24-year-old will undertake valuable work experience at the BBC headquarters in London or a CNN newsroom in either New York or Atlanta.

Judges said Argoon was chosen as overall winner in recognition of the outstanding depth of her work and contribution to changing the status quo.

"It is an impressive achievement for someone at an early stage of their career and showcases the importance of journalism that is connected to and responsive to the needs of its local community," the judges said in a statement.

ABC reporters honoured

Two young ABC journalists also picked up awards in the radio and television categories.

ABC Rural journalist Caitlyn Gribbin won radio journalism category for her stories on the Bundaberg and the drug culture in the mining industry.

ABC News reporter Alexandra Fisher's feature story on the sex trafficking industry in Mexico won the television journalism category.

Final-year journalism student at University of Technology Sydney Will Mumford, 21, was awarded the inaugural Jacoby-Walkley Scholarship.